Spring support for railway trucks



June 30,1942; c. D. BARRETT: ETAL- 2,287,963

SPRING 'surrom FOR RAILWAY TRUCKS Filed Sept. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES; INVENTORS) 0501'! D Ba7'1"ei'z'& 2/ 61201 1 32. Wife/26m,

wziw i fie i I c. D; BARRETT El AL SPRING SUPPORT FOR'RAILWAY TRUCKS June so, 1942.

Fil ed Sept. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ywlrlwssgjsgwkg @3 04) Patented June 30, 1942 SPRING SUPPORT FOR; RAILWAY TRUCKS Charles D. Barrett and Charles R. Whitehead,

' Altoona, Pa.

Application September 27, 1941, Serial No. 412,550

8 Claims.

This invention has general reference to springing for railway trucks and, more particularly, to improvements in the type forming the subject matter of U. S..A. Patent No. 2,199,907, dated May '7, 1940, granted to the instant applicants.

The primary objective of the herein disclosed improvements is a novel supporting means for the ends of the multi-leaf semi-elliptic springs, and respectively associated groups of helical springs, said means essentially consisting of a plate-like component embodying spaced upper portions for engagement by the outer ends of the semielliptic spring with the lower portion seating between recessed projections of a substantially fiat spring plate.

each such term being deemed to embrace all equivalents which perform the same function for an analogous purpose.

Referring more in-detail to the drawings, there is shown, in Figs. 1 and 2, a portion of a truck frame 5, including the upper compression mem- Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a spring supporting component of the species indicated, in the preceding paragraph, which can tilt in a direction parallel to the bolster but is restrained against sideway movement or tilting in a direction at right angles to said bolster.

A further object is the provision of a spring supporting means as above typified including refinements whereby provision is made for relative movement between the bolster and truck side frame, by sliding action intermediate the semi-elliptic spring and the spring cap, as well as between said spring cap and the top of the spring supporting plate-like component.

Other objects with ancillary advantages ofv this invention will become apparent from the following detailed explanation of the preferred embodiment thereof, shown by the accompanying two sheets of illustrative drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in all the views, while the concluding claims more particularly define the features of novelty over the prior art.

In the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a partial longitudinal section through a bolster including the novel spring supporting means in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially as indicated by the angle-arrows 11-11 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken approximately on the plane designated III-J11 in Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the novel supporting means of this invention.

In describing the form of this invention exemplified in the above captioned drawings herewith, specific terms will be employed for the sake of clarity, but it is to be understood that the scope of said invention is not limited thereby;

her 6,'thelower tension member I, and struts 8 interconnecting these members, at either side of the bolster window 8, to provide guide means for the end of the bolster l0, which latter embodies walls spacedly paralleling the struts 8 for reasons later on set forth. There is also shown a spring plank ii of channel section resting on the bottom. I3 of the bolster window 9 in the side frame 5, and connecting said side frame to the opposite side frame, not shown, all of said parts being substantially in accordance with the disclosure of the hereinbefore referred to Patent No. 2,199,907.

In accordance with the instant improvements, a rectangular base or spring plate H, see Fig. 4 to best advantage, has diagonally located outset circular flanges I5 and concentrically related corner roundings IS in conformity with the major circumferential dimension of the outer helical springs H, which abut at their upper ends against the under side of the bolster end lower flange or cap It, said flange having circular outsets l9 vertically above and 'in axial alignment with the plate flanges l5, aforesaid, that serve as centralizing .means for intermediate helical springs 20 located within the springs l1. The springs 29 are, preferably, of smaller gage and reversely coiled in respect to the springs l1. Concentrically of each pair of springs I1, 20 is a third helical spring 2| of further reduced gage and preferably coiled in the same direction as the outer spring l1, said spring 2i being of a suitable diameter to engage the associated plate circular flange i5 while it is of an axial length less than the normal stressed length of the springs ll, 20. The spring plate i4 is also provided with spaced holes 22 for a purpose hereafter explained and, in alignment therewith, has opposingly-related outset channel-shaped projections 23 permanently secured in place by exterior fillet welds 24, in an obvious manner. It

is also to be noted that the ends of all the springs H, 29 and 2| are ground parallel and at rightangles to the axis thereof in order to provide a uniform bearing of a least three-quarters of the respective circumference. I

Seating intermediate the spring plate projections 23, and on the upper surface of said plate, is the basal or lower portion 25 of a supporting 'plate 26, embodying spaced upwardly directed columnar parts 21, with an intervening recess 28 adapted to clear the hollow bolster end central web 29, in a manner obvious on an examination of Fig. 2. The columnar parts 21 are trans; versely reduced in width relative to the basal portion 25 for free passage through elongate and aligned holes l8, in the bolster lower flange or cap l8, between the walls ll, of the bolster end within the window 9 as also clearly apparent from Fig. 2. The plate 26 is .further surroundingly reinforced by a bead enlargement 30 merging at 3| to the relative narrower top sections 32 of the respective columnar parts 21, said sections being adapted to engage in the recess 33 across .the under side of an individually associated shoe or cap member 34, one of which is shown elevated in Fig. 4. Each member 34 embodies a curved portion 35 alignedly above the recess 33, with rectangularly related parallel or end flanges 36 and a connecting wall 3! defining an inner elongated aperture 38. Now it will be readily understood that, when the rocker members 34 areplaced on the plate columnar top sections 32, the curved portions 35 afford seating for the spaced correspondingly bent .outer ends 39 of the inner leaves of the semi-elliptic springs 40, which act in parallel with the aligningly related helical springs I1, 20 and 2| in accordance with the disclosure of the hereinbefore mentioned patent. The spring 40, as before known,bears upward by aid of a strap 41 engaged in a suitable seat 42 pro-' vided for the purpose in the upper wall of the bolster l0, whereas the inner flat ends 43 of the spring 40 are supported on a bearer 44 removably sustained in a seat 45, interiorly across the bolster ID, in accordance with the referred to prior patent.

When the parts hereinbefore described are assembled with the spring plate l4 connected to the underlying end of the bolster l2 by offsets 46 in accordance with known practice, it will be apparent that the vertical plate component 26 can tilt in a direction parallel to the bolster l intermediate the channel-shaped projections 23; whereas such plate component 26 is effectively restrained against sideways displacement or lateral tilting by virtue of its substantially wide bearing on the spring plate l4 and the web portions of said projections 23. Or, the projections 23 may be dispensed with and the cap members 34 have the flanges 36 formed to close-in the ends of the recesses 33, in an obvious manner.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the herein described embodiment of the invention fully justifies the objects set forth in the opening paragraphs of this specification, and that one of the principal advantages resides in the fact that in the case of heavy duty trucks where the surface for supporting the coil springs is approximately square use can be made of four springs of large diameter rather than six or eight of smaller diameter.

Having thus described our invention, claim:

1. In a truck comprising a side frame having a bolster window; a hollow bolster with an end in said window; coil spring means in said window yieldingly supporting the bolster end for up-anddown movement; and leaf spring means mounted in the bolster and extending lengthwise thereof with bearing upward intermediate its ends on an upper bearing in said bolster, while its outer end is free in the hollow bolster end for yieldingly sustaining the bolster in parallel with the coil spring means aforesaid; the combination of plate means for up-holding the outer end of the leaf spring means, by the truck side frame, between groups of the coil spring means but independently of the latter, and such plate means also coacting with the outer end of the leaf spring means, whereby said plate means can tilt in a direction paralleling the bolster but is restrained against inclination in a plane at right angles thereto.

2. In a truck comprising a side frame having a bolster window; a hollow bolster with an end in said window; coil spring means in said window yieldingly supporting the bolster end for up-anddown movement; and leaf spring means mounted in the bolster and extending lengthwise thereof with hearing upward intermediate its ends on an upper bearing in said bolster, while its outer end is free in the hollow bolster end for yieldingly sustaining the bolster in parallel with the coil spring means aforesaid; the combination of plate means for up-holding the outer end of the leaf spring means, by the truck side frame, between two groups of coil spring means but independently of the latter; and means on the upper section of the plate means coactive with the outer end of the leaf spring means, whereby said plate means can tilt in a direction paralleling the bolster but is restrained against inclination in a plane at right angles thereto.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate means for up-holding the leaf spring outer end comprises a flat rectangular base element including diagonally-located circular outsets and spaced channel-like opposing projections; and a supporting plate having its lower edge portion seating across the base element between the channel-like opposing projections, whereby said base element and the supporting plate are restrained against relative displacement.

4..I'he combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate means for up-holding the leaf spring outer end comprises a flat rectangular base element embodying diagonally located outset circular flanges and inwardly open channellike upset projections having their web portions adjoining parallel side edges of said base element medially between aligned corners thereof; a vertically related supporting plate having its lower edge portion seating between the channellike projections across and in contact with the base, base element; and said supporting plate including spaced columnar coplanar parts with the top sections of said columnar parts relatively reduced in thickness.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plate means for up-holding the outer end of the leaf spring embodies spaced columnar parts with an intervening recess, the top sections of the columnar parts are relatively reduced and the lower portion of said plate means affords a comparatively wide bearing edge; and a cap for each columnar part embodying a portion of segmental cross-section with an underlying recess in the chord side for seating on top of the associated columnar part, and said cap has end flanges with a connecting wall defining an elongated aperture paralleling the segmental portion.

6. The combination as set forth in claim -2, wherein the coil spring means comprise concentric outer and an intermediate reversely wound coils of corresponding axial length but differential gage, an inner coil of less axial length than the normal stressed length of either of the first mentioned coils, and said inner coil being preferably wound in the same direction as the outer coil.

7. A supporting means for application to truck shaped projections; and a cap for each columnar portion embodying a segmental section with a recess longitudinally in its chord face for seating on top of said columnar portion, said cap member also having end-flanges and a connecting wall defining with the segmental section an elongate aperture intermediate the connecting wall and the inner edge of said segmental sectior portion.

8. A. supporting means as set forth in claim 7,

wherein spaced holes in. alignment are provided between the rectangular base plate upset channel-shaped projections, and means whereby said base plate and the up-holding plate are jointly restrained against relative movement.

CHARLES D. BARRETT. -'CHAl-tlLES R. WHITEI-IEAD. 

